| A | B |
|---|
| accuse | to charge with a fault or offense; to blame |
| advocate | a supporter, defender, or champion; to plead for another, often in a court of justice |
| anecdote | a short and often humorous tale or narrative of personal experience |
| aspire | to desire; to hope to acquire or accomplish a particular goal |
| betray | to deliver to an enemy by treachery; to disclose in violation of confidence |
| bigotry | a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance |
| compromise | an agreement in which each side gives up some demands; to settle by making concessions |
| consensus | group solidarity in sentiment and belief; general agreement |
| conspicuous | clearly visible to the eye; attracting attention; noticeable; striking |
| dilemma | a situation requiring a choice between two equal alternatives; a predicament without an obvious solution |
| dissent | to disagree, often strongly; a disagreement; a refusal to conform to a set of ideas, laws, or beliefs |
| dissuade | to deter from a purpose or course of action by persuasion; to advise against |
| distraught | deeply agitated by some emotional stress; mad; in a state of being frenzied |
| explicit | fully and precisely expressed; leaving nothing implied or unclear |
| facade | the front of a building; an appearance intended to conceal a less pleasant reality |
| indulge | to take pleasure freely; to yield to desires and whims |
| mediocre | of moderate to low quality |
| persevere | to continue to pursue something despite obstacles |
| pessimism | the tendency to expect the worse; a negative and unfavorable point of view |
| shrewd | wise or clever in practical affairs; tricky |
| accumulate | to heap up in a mass; to collect |
| averse | unwilling, reluctant, or opposed |
| apex | highest point, peak, or vertex; point of completion or climax |
| clamor | an uproar or loud outcry; to make insistent demands or complaints |
| concede | to admit that something is valid or true after first denying it; to acknowledge as certain or proper |
| cumbersome | difficult to carry or manage; unwieldy |
| dexterous | skillful in the use of hands, body, or mind; adept; adroit |
| dire | extremely serious or urgent; dreadful |
| fanatic | someone filled with excessive and often misguided enthusiasm for something; possessed with or motivated by excessive, irrational zeal |
| fluent | able to express oneself easily; flowing freely |
| inquisitive | curious and inquiring, often to the extreme; seeking knowledge |
| kinship | the quality or state of being related (as in a family) |
| luster | radiance, brilliance, shine, beauty |
| notorious | known widely and usually unfavorably |
| repertoire | a list of musical pieces or plays that a person or group is prepared to perform; a person's skills |
| futile | pointless; hopeless; incapable of achieving any positive result or outcome |
| inclination | a person's natural tendency or urge to act or feel in a particular way; disposition; propensity |
| serial | forming a series of successive parts |
| sporadic | occurring at irregular intervals; having no pattern or order |
| sullen | bad-tempered, gloomy, depressed, sulky, resentful, unsociable, and melancholy |
| abash | to make ashamed, embarassed, or uneasy; to disconcert |
| abet | to encourage, support, or approve an action or plan of action; to incite, especially in the performance of a crime |
| acquire | to get or gain possession of by one's own efforts or actions |
| aegis | protection; patronage; sponsorship |
| aura | a distinctive air or quality surrounding a person or thing |
| benign | harmless; kind and gentle in nature |
| bound | confined; tied; limited by an agreement, law, or custom |
| bourgeois | of the middle class; attitudes and behavior marked by materialism and conformity to convention |
| clique | an exclusive group of friends or associates |
| concord | harmony or agreement in interest or feelings; a peaceful treaty |
| contiguous | touching; adjoining; in juxtaposition to |
| derelict | a person or thing abandoned or deserted; run-down or dilapidated; abandoned property; a vagrant |
| endorse | to give approval to; to support; to sanction |
| envoy | a diplomatic representative sent on a special mission; a messenger or agent |
| facetious | joking; trying to be humorous, often at an inappropriate time |
| facile | easily accomplished or attained; used with ease; easily perceived as insincere or shallow |
| gourmet | a connoisseur of superior food and drink; a culinary virtuoso |
| impulsive | acting on impulse; spontaneous, rash, or unpremeditated |
| indifferent | having no particular interest or concern in; unaffected, impartial |
| irrelevant | unrelated to the subject; not relevant or necessary |
| lethargy | sluggish indifference; a state of consciousness resembling deep sleep |
| moot | to discuss or debate; arguable; subject to debate |
| oppress | to burden; to persecute by unjust force or authority; to weigh heavily upon |
| poignant | profoundly touching or deeply emotional; physically painful; to the point |
| provincial | unsophisticated; narrow; a simple rural or country style |
| abstract | existing only in thought or idea; not considered part of concrete existence; not easy to understand; not clear |
| abyss | a deep or seemingly bottomless or immeasurable chasm |
| anihilate | to destroy; to reduce to nothing; to exterminate |
| ascertain | to determine the truth of or to learn with certainty |
| berserk | frenzied, crazed, or violently out of control; deranged; unrestrained |
| bleak | gloomy and somber; desolate; dreary; not showing much promise |
| cadre | a specially trained group; a small group trained for a specific purpose |
| calculate | to determine by reason, logic, experience, or common sense |
| connoisseur | an expert; one who is capable of discrimination and appreciation of subtleties |
| conscience | that which allows one to recognize the distinction between right and wrong |
| digest | to understand or assimilate; to abridge or summarize |
| effusive | highly demonstrative; unrestrained in emotional expression |
| exaggerate | to magnify beyond the limits of truth; to represent something as greater than it really is |
| exalt | to raise in rank or stature; to glorify or praise |
| fathom | to comprehend or grasp; a measure of depth of water equal to 6 feet |
| flamboyant | colorful, showy; ornate |
| heterogeneous | different in kind, type, or sort; diverse; varied |
| husbandry | careful management or conservation of resources, especially natural or animal resources; farming or agriculture |
| innocuous | harmless; lacking significance or impact |
| insipid | lacking flavor or zest; unexciting or uninteresting; dull |
| melee | a violent free-for-all; a confused and disorderly mingling |
| mentor | a wise and trusted counselor or teacher; to serve as a trusted counselor or teacher |
| palatial | having the characteristics of a palace, such as spaciousness or ornateness |
| plunder | to rob a person or place forcibly; to devastate by theft and invasion; the act of robbery; pillage or loot |
